ACRL College & Research Libraries News

College & Research Libraries News

ACRL President’s report, 1986-87

By Hannelore B. Rader

ACRL’s 48th President

ACRL’s past year in perspective.

Hannelore B. Rader

My year as President of ACRL has been an excit- ing time to be active in ACRL and ALA affairs.

New task forces and committees

In response to suggestions from members about their needs and interests, I appointed four task forces in July 1986.

The Task Force on Librarians as Instructors, chaired by Marian Winner, will present its final re- port in New Orleans. The group has been examining librarians’ roles in bibliographic instruction and credit courses, and as instructors in library schools. A preliminary report has been presented at the San Francisco Conference.

The Task Force on Libraries and Computer Centers, Richard Boss, chair, carried out a survey to identify some of the organizational changes being made to accommodate developments in computing on campus. They will present a final report in New Orleans, describing guidelines for cooperation between libraries and computing centers.

The Task Force on Library Access, with Kathleen Gunning as chair, prepared the fine ACRL response to the Lacy Report, which I presented to the ALA Special Committee on Freedom and Equality of Access to Information at the Midwinter Meeting in Chicago. They have continued to consider access items on behalf of ACRL.

The Task Force on Chapter Guidelines has been working on a revision of the guidelines that will protect ACRL from liability without placing restraints on the activities in which chapters can engage. Bob Carmack has chaired the task force, which has reported on a plan at San Francisco.

At the 1987 Midwinter Meeting, the Board approved the establishment of an International Relations Committee, and Maureen Pastine has agreed to serve as chair. My contacts with academic librarians indicated there was great interest in the international scene and I am pleased to see ACRL establish a formal unit to deal with international affairs. The charge includes the preparation of guidelines for promoting international exchanges of librarians and information, and assisting librarians of other countries in the use of library and bibliographic techniques.

Chapters

I am very enthusiastic about the ACRL Chapter affiliates. Working with these groups has been one of the most satisfying of my presidential duties. With 38 chapter links, ACRL is “close to home” for academic librarians, whether or not they are ACRL members. The following chapters had “official visits,” and as visitors we enjoyed interesting programs and stimulating discussion and brought back some great ideas for ACRL: Alabama, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon/W ashington.

ACRL Board and Executive Committee

Some of the highlights of Board and Executive Committee meetings this year:

• approved the publication of a brief version of the ACRE Strategic Plan in two formats—as published in College & Research Libraries News, January 1987, and (same content, different look) as a brochure. Free copies of the brochure are available from the ACRL office.

•began the Candidates’ Forum for ACRL presidential candidates at Midwinter. This project will now be coordinated by the ACRL Chapters Council.

•approved the “Standards for Ethical Conduct for Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Librarians.” The full statement of the standards appeared in the March 1987 issue of College & Research Libraries News.

•approved the “Model Statement of Criteria and Procedures for Appointment, Promotion in Academic Rank, and Tenure for College and University Librarians.” The full statement appeared in the May 1987 issue of College & Research Libraries News.

•selected Phoenix, Arizona, as the site for ACRL’s Sixth National Conference, April 1-4, 1992. ALA Executive Board approval has been sought at the San Francisco Conference.

•approved the petitions for the establishment of two new discussion groups: one for Canadian Studies and another on Electronic Library Development in Academic Libraries.

•voted to sponsor the Western European Specialist’s Section conference, April 5-8, 1988, in Florence, Italy.

ALA affairs

This has been a year of serious discussion between ALA and its divisions and among the divisions themselves. I found the Division Officers’ meeting in Chicago very interesting and participated actively. Widespread discussion at the Midwinter Meeting focused on the “Policies of ALA in Relation to Divisions” (the new version of the Operating Agreement). In the meetings of ACRL’s Budget and Finance Committee and its Board of Directors, as well as at the ALA Planning and Budget Assembly, the ACRL position was clarified. By April when the ACRL Executive Committee met, they were ready to endorse a statement of their position regarding the new “Operating Agreement.” This statement has been published in College & Research Libraries News and widely distributed among the ALA and ACRL membership, in the hope that a position of Association-wide unity can be reached by the time the Council votes on the new Policies in San Antonio in January 1988.

Choiceand Books for College Libraries 3d edition

In November I visited the offices of Choice and Books for College Libraries and observed two exciting operations. There, a staff of 21 under Patricia Sabosik, editor and publisher, produces 11 issues a year of Choice which publishes more reviews than any other reviewing medium in English (over 6,000 a year). Each issue also includes a featured bibliographic essay and there are other special features, such as one on reference books each November and the special issue featuring the “Outstanding Academic Books,” a list of some 600 top titles, every May.

The 3d edition of Books for College Libraries is nearing completion. The 6-volume set, edited by Virginia Clark under Pat Sabosik as project director, will be published jointly with ALA Publishing during the 1987-88 fiscal year. It is the product of more than 500 faculty members: Choice reviewers who volunteered to select titles in their fields, using lists prepared by Clark and her staff from BCL2 and Choice reviews published since BCL2, and adding any additional works they wished. All subject lists so created are then being scrutinized by collection development librarians with subject area specialization to ensure balance. About 50,000 titles will appear in the 3d edition.

Conclusion

The year has also been an exciting one for me personally. I am grateful for the support of my ACRL and ALA friends as I move into a new position as director of libraries at Cleveland State University, and honored to have had the opportunity to serve as ACRL President. ■ ■